Friday, January 11, 2013

The right of the people to keep and bear arms is an extension of the
natural right to self-defense and a hallmark of personal sovereignty. It
is specifically insulated from governmental interference by the
Constitution and has historically been the linchpin of resistance to
tyranny. And yet, the progressives in both political parties stand ready
to use the coercive power of the government to interfere with the
exercise of that right by law-abiding persons because of the gross abuse
of that right by some crazies in our midst.

When Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence that we
are endowed by our Creator with certain inalienable rights, he was
marrying the nation at its birth to the ancient principles of the
natural law that have animated the Judeo-Christian tradition in the
West. Those principles have operated as a break on all governments that
recognize them by enunciating the concept of natural rights.

As we have been created in the image and likeness of God the Father, we
are perfectly free just as He is. Thus, the natural law teaches that
our freedoms are pre-political and come from our humanity and not from
the government, and as our humanity is ultimately divine in origin, the
government, even by majority vote, cannot morally take natural rights
away from us. A natural right is an area of individual human behavior --
like thought, speech, worship, travel, self-defense, privacy, ownership
and use of property, consensual personal intimacy -- immune from
government interference and for the exercise of which we don’t need the
government’s permission.

The essence of humanity is freedom. Government -- whether voted in
peacefully or thrust upon us by force -- is essentially the negation of
freedom. Throughout the history of the world, people have achieved
freedom when those in power have begrudgingly given it up. From the
assassination of Julius Caesar to King John’s forced signing of the
Magna Carta, from the English Civil War to the triumph of the allies at
the end of World War II, from the fall of Communism to the Arab Spring,
governments have permitted so-called nobles and everyday folk to
exercise more personal freedom as a result of their demands for it and
their fighting for it. This constitutes power permitting liberty.
The American experience was the opposite.

On his radio show this afternoon, Rush Limbaugh challenged CNN to ponder how they’d react if President George W. Bush had invoked an executive order on abortion, in contrast to what he sees as a supportive attitude towards President Obama‘s invoking executive order on gun control.

“If George Bush, and Dick Cheney, and Alberto Gonzales
got together and decided too many people were dying because of abortion
in this country, and said that they were looking at ways to curb
abortion, and one of the things they were doing was using executive
orders on abortion,” Limbaugh said to CNN in particular, “what do you
think your reaction would be? I’m telling you: outraged panic would set
in.”

Limbaugh continued on to say that if Cheney had gotten up, the way VP Joe Biden
has, and advocated for the use of executive orders as a means to
mitigating a problem, CNN would be “having cows,” shouting, “You can’t
do that! You can’t do that! You can’t do that! Abortion’s protected by
the Constitution!”

The conservative radio host took a direct swipe at CNN anchor Carol Costello,
who he believes laughed off the argument that “executive orders” may
put the Second Amendment at risk. “If Bush talked about issuing an
executive order on abortion, would Carol Costello be laughing at anybody
who thought it might put abortion at risk?” he asked.

The Tennessee Department of Safety and
Homeland Security has suspended the handgun carry permit of James
Yeager, CEO of Tactical Response, a firearms and tactical training
company, who recently said he would “start killing people” if the Obama administration attempted to enact gun control through executive action.

In a statement released on Friday,
state officials said they suspended Yeager’s permit based on “material
likelihood of risk of harm to the public,” WTVF-TV reports.

The video of Yeager furiously
denouncing the Obama administration and threatening violent action over
gun control went viral on Thursday.

“The number one priority for our
department is to ensure the public’s safety,” Commissioner Bill Gibbons
wrote in a statement. “Mr. Yeager’s comments were irresponsible,
dangerous, and deserved our immediate attention. Due to our concern, as
well as that of law enforcement, his handgun permit was suspended
immediately. We have notified Mr. Yeager about the suspension today via
e-mail. He will receive an official notification of his suspension
through the mail.”

If you still think the Left really cares about “the children,”
especially in light of the Newtown, Connecticut shooting at Sandy Hook
Elementary School, all you need to do is see the glee they display in
pushing their agenda against guns and the Second Amendment. The latest
example of this is former Governor Ed Rendell (D-PA). Listen to the way
that Rendell is a bit giddy in stating, “The good thing about Newtown
is, it was so horrific that I think it galvanized Americans to a point
where the intensity on our side is going to match the intensity on their
side.”

This is more than exploiting a tragedy for political gain, this is
actually looking at the deaths of 27 people, including the shooter, 6
adults and 20 children” and declaring it good because of it being “so
horrific” enough to get people “on his side.”

If you watched the video you will not that host Alex Wagner said that
there should be “sensible gun laws.” What she really means is
completely get rid of the Second Amendment. Think I’m just trying to
read a liberal’s mind? Think again. These are her own words.

In November of 2011 she appeared on Real Time with Bill Maher and
during a conversation about what Maher and Former Governor David
Paterson (D-NY) wanted to change in the Constitution, Wagner was asked
by Maher, “Let’s ask Alex. What would you change in the Constitution?”

“Well, I’m going to be pilloried for this. I think get rid of the second Amendment, the right to bear arms,” she answered.
“I just think in the grand scheme of the rights that we have; the
right of assembly, free speech, I mean, owning a gun does not, it does
not tally on the same level as those other Constitutional rights. And
being more discreet about who gets to have a firearm and right to kill
with a firearm, I think is something that would be in our national
interest to revisit that.”

Well I say let her own it! She doesn’t get that the Second Amendment secures the First Amendment that she is so happy to keep.

Liberals simply use the phrase “sensible gun laws” to push ahead for
the eventual goal of completely banning guns. I think they are going to
find they have their hands full.

“Tyrants preserve themselves by sowing fear and mistrust among the
citizens by means of spies, by distracting them with foreign wars, by
eliminating men of spirit who might lead a revolution, by humbling the
people, and making them incapable of decisive action…” … Aristotle

You’d think ole “Ari” might have been peering through some sort of
cosmic window into modern day America some 2300 years ago with comments
such as those above.

There’s another way to look at it, as well. One can grudgingly admit
that the Greeks, of 2300 years ago, were smarter than modern Americans.
In my estimation — you’d be right. So, I tend to go with the latter
explanation.

See, America is building a head of steam preparing to go to war with
itself a second time at this very moment. This is not unusual — not in
America. We have already had two revolutions. You may recall the
American Revolution against Great Britain and the second — the War for
Southern Independence, often erroneously referred to as the American
Civil War, or the War Between the States.

Tensions are running high all across the country as citizens are rushing
to arm themselves with the closest thing resembling combat weaponry
they can possible find. Ammunition of all calibers is disappearing for
the shelves of gun shops and back orders at the manufacturing plants are
piled high.
Americans are preparing to dig-in. In other words they are preparing
for a fight. They are preparing for the day when the words run out, as
they surely will. They will then have no other alternative than to turn
— as their forefathers have done since the country was founded — to the
gun.

Egyptians are quickly losing the hopeful optimism that once fueled
the revolution, as the economy deteriorates, dissatisfaction with the
Brotherhood government grows, and security is still questionable.

A $4.8 billion loan
from the IMF depends on President Mohamed Morsi’s willingness to impose
austerity measures, a move which could tip the scales into civil
disorder, as Reuters reports:

With their patience already stretched after years of
upheaval, Egyptians—from the capital Cairo to smaller towns like
Zagazig—appear to be nearing the point where discontent could explode
into a new wave of unrest.

“There is no security. There is nothing,” said Soheir Abdel Moneim, a
retired school teacher, as she hurried through an open-air market in
Zagazig [a city northeast of Cairo] in search of vegetables she could
afford.

“The pound is falling. Everything is more expensive. Is there
anything that has not become more expensive?” she asked with a shrug, as
traders on bicycles loaded with their wares dodged through the chaos of
the market.”

Virginia’s attorney general Ken Cuccinelli said in an interview Thursday
that defying the “tyranny” that is the contraception mandate in
Obamacare is important enough to protest and risk going to jail over.

"My local bishop said he told a group, `Well, you know, I told a group
I'm ready to go to jail,' and I told him, `Bishop, don't take this
personally — you need to go to jail," the Republican gubernatorial
candidate said on Steve Deace's syndicated radio show.

Cuccinelli went on to say that the requirement for health insurers to
cover most forms of contraceptives for their customers is an attack on
the Roman Catholic Church, which demands civil disobedience. He
encouraged those who disagree with the law to protest by forcing the
feds to prosecute those who don't comply.

Violating the law and going to jail for it would "provide an example of
what tyranny means when it's played to its logical conclusion,"
according to Cuccinelli.

From New York to New Mexico and across the dependent plains, welfare
recipients are getting sauced on the public dime. Drunk, besotted,
bombed. But while politicians pay lip service to cutting government
waste, fraud and abuse, they’re doing very little in practice to stop
the EBT party excesses. Where’s the compassion for taxpayers?

You see the signs everywhere: “We accept EBT.” Fast-food restaurants
do. Clothing retailers do. Auto repair shops, liquor stores and even
sushi joints are joining the club. “EBT” stands for the federal
government’s electronic benefits transfer card, which is intended to
provide poor people with food stamps and cash assistance for basic
necessities. The two separate programs were combined into one ATM-like
card designed to reduce the “stigma” attached to Nanny State dependency,
and — voila! — an entirely new method of mooching was born.

If the idea was to eliminate the embarrassment of life on the dole,
the social justice crowd succeeded phenomenally. Last weekend, the New
York Post blew the lid off scammers who brazenly swiped their EBT cards
“inside Hank’s Saloon in Brooklyn; the Blue Door Video porn shop in the
East Village; The Anchor, a sleek SoHo lounge; the Patriot Saloon in
TriBeCa; and Drinks Galore, a liquor distributor in The Bronx.” Out:
Cash for clunkers. In: Cash for drunkards!

I have been writing this column for over a dozen years, and I can
safely say the column I wrote last week, “My Line In The Sand Is Drawn
Here,” produced more response than any column I have ever written–maybe
more than any two or three columns combined. And what is even more
noteworthy: unlike most columns, the responses to this column were at
least 90% favorable.

In last week’s column I said, “Throughout the United States, there
are tens of millions of fully-armed citizens who are more than capable
of defending themselves and their communities against any enemy–whether
that enemy is an internal or external one. In fact, many millions of
these citizens have been trained in the US armed forces.
Firearms–especially semi-automatic rifles–in the hands of millions of
American citizens is truly the only thing that stands between freedom
and tyranny for the people of the United States. That Barack Obama and
Dianne Feinstein want to disarm the American people should be considered
an act of war against our liberties! In other words, ladies and
gentlemen, this is a line in the sand that none of us can afford to
ignore.”

I also wrote, “Make no mistake about it: to take away an American’s
right to a semi-automatic rifle is to FULLY DISARM HIM. There is no
Second Amendment; there is no right to keep and bear arms; there is no
citizen militia; there is no liberty without the semi-automatic rifle!”

I concluded the column saying, “Ladies and gentlemen, whatever the
consequences might be, and whatever anyone else does or doesn’t do, I am
prepared to become an outlaw over this issue! I don’t know how to say
it any plainer: I will not register my firearms, and I will not
surrender my firearms. Period. End of story. It’s not just a saying with
me: when my guns are outlawed, I will be an outlaw!

“My line in the sand is drawn here!

“Make no mistake about it: it is not just semi-automatic rifles that
these gun grabbers are after. Ultimately, they want to take all of our
guns. We either stop them now or there will be no stopping them at all.”

U.S. Rep. Walter Jones, R-Farmville, has taken a stand against a recent
grant to Craven Community College to provide 25 books and a DVD to
“introduce Muslim cultures to Americans,” Jones’ office said in a news
release.

The “Bridging Cultures Bookshelf: Muslim Journeys” grant came from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Jones has consistently opposed federal spending bills that give money
to the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Endowment
for the Arts, his office said.

“It is appalling to me that a federal agency like NEH is wasting
taxpayer money on programs like this,” Jones said. “It makes zero sense
for the U.S. government to borrow money from China in order to promote
the culture of Islamic civilizations.”

Robert E. Lee Period Fair Copy ofGeneral Order, No.
9Signed "R E Lee Genl." One page, 10" x
8.25", "Head. Quarters. A. N. Va. [Appomattox Court House,
Virginia]," April 10, 1865. Following Grant's breakthrough of the
Confederate lines after the Battle of Five Forks on April 1, 1865,
Lee evacuated Petersburg and the Confederate capital of Richmond,
leading his army west toward Appomattox where a supply train
awaited him. His plan was to turn south and join forces with Joseph
E. Johnston and the Army of Tennessee in North Carolina.
Unfortunately, George Armstrong Custer's cavalry destroyed the
three supply trains awaiting Lee at Appomattox on April 8. Lee
arrived that night and immediately resolved to push on to Lynchburg
the following morning, where another supply train could replenish
his army. By the morning of the 9th, however, he found himself
surrounded by Federal troops. He made one last desperate attempt,
sending John B. Gordon to break through the Union cavalry guarding
the western exit. When the attempt failed, Lee had no choice but to
surrender. He negotiated a ceasefire and, meeting Lt. Gen. Ulysses
S. Grant at the house of Wilmer McLean, surrendered himself and the
Army of Northern Virginia.

The following day, Lee's aide-de-camp, Col. Charles Marshall, at
the insistence of the general, drafted General Order, No. 9, also
known as Lee's Farewell Address. This copy has some very minor
grammatical changes from most transcriptions and reads, in full:
"After four years of arduous service, marked by unsurpassed
courage and fortitude, the Army of Northern Virginia has been
compelled to yield to overwhelming numbers and resources. I need
not tell the survivors of so many hard-fought battles, who have
remained steadfast to the last, that I have consented to this
result from no distrust of them. But feeling that valor and
devotion could accomplish nothing that could compensate for the
loss that must have attended the continuance of the contest, I have
determined to avoid the useless sacrifice of those whose past
services have endeared them to their countrymen. By the terms of
agreement officers and men can return to their homes and remain
until exchanged. You will take with you the satisfaction that
proceeds from the consciousness of duty faithfully performed, and I
earnestly pray that a merciful God will extend to you his blessing
and protection. With an unceasing admiration of your constancy and
devotion to your country and a grateful remembrance of your kind
and generous consideration for myself, I bid you all an
affectionate farewell."

Though we will never be sure who is responsible for the creation of
this particular copy, the lower quality paper used in its
production is consistent with that used by Confederate soldiers at
the time. Interesting to note is the ink used to transcribe this
order is the same ink that Lee used when he signed his name and
leads one to believe that Lee was present at its creation. Also
evident are three small thumbprints found near the lower left edge.
It is not certain to whom they belong, but it is a distinct
possibility that these prints belong to the great general. Light
waterstaining along the lower right edge and lower left corner,
causing slight smudging of "Genl" following Lee's signature.
Two small ink spots at left edge. Folds are weakened with slight
separation at places along the vertical fold, most notably at the
upper edge and the intersections with the horizontal folds,
resulting in very minor loss of paper, but not affecting the text.
Very small holes dotted throughout the page (and mostly seen only
when held to a light source), also not affecting the text, which,
along with Lee's signature, is bold and bright.

In a letter to Confederate General Bradley T. Johnson, dated
September 27, 1887, Charles Marshall described the events
surrounding his drafting of the Farewell Address: "General Lee's
order to the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Court House
was written the day after the meeting at McLean's house, at which
the terms of the surrender were agreed upon. That night the general
sat with several of us at a fire in front of his tent, and after
some conversation about the army...in which his feelings toward his
men were strongly expressed, he told me to prepare an order to the
troops." Apparently it never occurred to Lee that, as he had
surrendered himself and his army the previous day, he no longer had
the authority to issue a military order. He continues: "The next
day...many persons were coming and going, so that I was unable to
write without interruption until about 10 o'clock, when General
Lee, finding that the order had not been prepared, directed me to
get into his ambulance...I sat in the ambulance until I had written
the order, the first draft of which (in pencil) contained an entire
paragraph that was omitted by General Lee's direction. He made one
or two verbal changes, and I then made a copy of the order as
corrected, and gave it to one of the clerks in the
adjutant-general's office to write in ink. I took the copy...to the
general, who signed it, and other copies were then made for
transmission to the corps commanders and the staff of the army. All
these copies were signed by the general, and a good many persons
sent other copies which they had made or procured, and obtained his
signature. In this way many copies of the order had the general's
name signed as if they were originals, some of which I have seen."
(Johnson, Robert Underwood, et al. [editors]. Battles and
Leaders of the Civil War, Volume 4. 1888.)

This particular copy has been in the hands of the prominent
Southern family of Joseph Reid Anderson (1813-1892), owner of
Tredegar Iron Company in Richmond and a close friend of Robert E.
Lee, for a century and a half. In the early months of the war,
Anderson, a supporter of the southern cause, organized the Tredegar
Battalion, a home defense unit comprised of 350 of his own workers.
By August 1861, he was commissioned a brigadier general in the
Confederate Army. His time in the army was short lived and he
resigned his commission less than a year later to return to
Tredegar. He soon became the largest supplier of iron goods to the
Confederate government, producing, among other things, the armor
plating and machinery for the CSS Virginia
(Merrimack).

His son, Archer Anderson (1838-1918), followed in the footsteps of
his father and also served in the Confederate Army, reaching the
rank of lieutenant colonel and taking part in several prominent
engagements. After the war, he was appointed secretary and
treasurer of Tredegar Iron Company and was elected president of the
company upon the death of his father. He had the honor of being the
principal speaker at the dedication of Lee's statue on Monument
Avenue in Richmond, Virginia, in 1890.

Several other members of the Anderson family have also been
prominent in the preservation of Southern history. Sally Archer
Anderson, another daughter of Archer Anderson, was the second
president of the Confederate Memorial Literary Society from
1912-1952 and was instrumental in preserving the White House of the
Confederacy as well as other Confederate memorabilia. Frances Leigh
Williams, a daughter of Mary Mason Williams, was a published author
of several historical works and served as the family historian,
working with many southern institutions by sharing letters and
other ephemera in the family's collection.

Whether Joseph Anderson received it initially and later gave it to
Archer or it was given straight to Archer is unknown, but we do
know that it was passed to Mary Mason Anderson, Archer Anderson's
daughter. Mary Anderson then gave it to her daughter, Mary Mason
Williams, who in turn gave it to her son, the current owner. This
is a must have for any collector of Civil War or nineteenth century
American history!

There's been
some discussion in comments a few posts back about ATFE Form 4473 and
how it will lead to dastardly things happening. I've been selling guns for a number of years, let me tell you how it works here in Montana. You buy a gun from me and fill out the 'yellow sheet'.
If you have a carry permit, I dont have to call for the NCIC background
check ... you fill out the form, collect your thundertoy and go.
If I call the NCIC background weasels, they do get your personal info
but they dont get to know what you purchased ... (oh, they know
"handgun, long gun or other" but thats it ... they'll know the call is
about you trying to buy a pistol ... they won't know its make, model,
serial, caliber, etc.) So, you fill out the yellow sheet, collect your gun and head home. What happens to that yellow sheet?
Well, here in Montana there is no state requirement to do anything like
fax it to the state police or something, like in other states. So, all I do is what the feds require. Here's what that is - the yellow sheet goes into a filing cabinet and after twenty years it goes into the shredder. (They may have changed that last part.) So how does. Gov track you, then?
Well, they'd have to send someone to the shop and have them demand to
go through all the sheets looking for the one with your name.
Other than that, they dont get that info ... the notion that a week
after you buy a gun from an FFL (in Montana, anyway) your name is in a
federal database somewhere with a serial number and all is kinda silly.
Unless the feds are psychic and have mastered 'remote viewing' a'la Art
Bell, there's no way for them to know until they come and pick up those
sheets. So how do guns get traced? Well, let's say little Leroy blows away a 7-11 clerk in Los Angeles and for some reason ATF decides it's worth following up on. They call Remington and ask who they shipped that 870 to. Remington says it went to Jovino's in 2005. They call Jovino's and ask who they sold it to. Jovino's calls them a few days later and says that after checking their books, they find they sold it so Joe Blow in '06. They contact Joe Blow and Joe says he sold that shotgun probably around '08 at a moving sale when he moved to Iowa. Some guy came up and offered $ 150 .. he had a receipt but he lost it in another move recently. At that point, the trail ends. Unless .... in '09 the guy who bought the 870 pawns it and never redeems it.
The pawn shop logs it in and know its back 'in the system' in the sense
that the next person to buy it has to fill out a yellow sheet.
But tracing the gun from Remington will dead-end at the point where the
new owner didn't do any paperwork ... that on-the-lawn moving sale. Or ....... They call Remington and ask who they shipped that 870 to. Remington says it went to Jovino's in 1978. They call Jovino's and ask who they sold it to.
Jovino's calls them a few days later and says that after checking their
books, they find they sold it so Joe Blow in '79 but tossed all the
yellow sheets in '99 when they hit the 20-year-mark. They have a name, "Joe Blow", copied from their in / out log, but no yellow sheet .. no address, no DOB, no POB, no nothin '. Sorry.
Or ... ATFE checks their records from gun shops that were closed and
finds the last known person who bought it, and he says he sold that
shotgun probably around '08 at a moving sale when he moved to Iowa. Some guy came up and offered $ 150 .. he had a receipt but he lost it in another move recent.y. At that point, the trail ends.
So let's review .... the only way your purchase, on a 4473, gets into
the ATFE's hands is if the gun shop you purchased it from has gone out
of business OR they are tracing a particular firearm and that firearm
never changed hands without going through a dealer. The notion that they just do a couple keystrokes and find you bought a 10/22 last week is a bit far-fetched. Now, some states do require the gundealer to send the records into a state agency and the state agency may have a database. Thats up to the state. In a place like Montana, and many other states, there is no state registration. What about ATFE just coming into a shop, grabbing all the 4473's and going door-to-door? I suppose they could but the idea that they have the manpower for such an activity is absurd. Oh, they might try to recruit local law agencies but I bet that wouldn't go very far.
And, honestly, if they ask where that AR is you bought in '04 and you
say you sold it at a yard sale to some college kid .. well, that's legal
(in this state) so .. sorry, can't help ya, guys. Does that mean there's no advantage to buying unpapered guns? Well, I prefer unpapered guns but I can't really put my finger on why.
Intellectually, I know that the guns I do the yellow sheets on for
myself aren't going in a database somewhere ... but I still like to get
those free-range guns when I can.

As the Obama administration openly vows to use unconstitutional “executive orders” to further infringe on the right to keep and bear arms, gun rights activists, members of the law enforcement community, military personnel and
others are pledging to resist. Everything from an armed uprising and
nationwide civil disobedience to legal means of resistance like the
courts and nullification is being openly discussed online and even in
the establishment media.

“The president is going to act,” pledged
Vice President Joe Biden, who is leading an administration task force
to further restrict gun rights in the wake of the Newtown massacre.
"Executive order, executive action can be taken, we haven't decided what
that is yet. But we're compiling it all with the help of the attorney
general and all the rest of the cabinet members, as well as legislative
action we believe is required."

The Constitution, of course,
reserves all legislative powers to Congress — not to mention the
specific prohibition against infringements on gun rights contained in
the Second Amendment. But disgraced Attorney General Eric Holder, who is
helping develop the “executive action” plot, was caught in the 1990s on video calling for a tax-funded campaign to “brainwash” people against guns. He was also held in criminal contempt of Congress for lying about Operation Fast and Furious, which saw the Justice Department providing thousands of powerful guns to Mexican drug cartels through the ATF.

Appearing on CNN, Gun Owners of America chief Larry Pratt (pictured) said
assaults on the Second Amendment imposed unilaterally by a lawless
president would call the legitimacy of the federal government into
question. Noting that Obama has already been ruling by decree in realms
where he “has no authority” and that Biden is openly discussing
“executive action” to deal with firearms, the no-compromise gun rights
activist said any such unconstitutional presidential decrees infringing
on the Second Amendment would have dire implications.

"That, I
think, changes the game and throws into question the legitimacy of the
federal government," Pratt told rabid anti-gun CNN host Piers Morgan, a
Brit who has come under fire in recent weeks for his oftentimes
disrespectful and hostile attitude toward defenders of the Second
Amendment. "I would advise Mr. Obama to consider what happened to [King]
George the third when he was doing similar things against the American
colonists."

Meanwhile, former Congressman and GOP presidential candidate Ron Paul, who has millions of ardent supporters across America, suggested
to radio host Alex Jones that “executive orders” purporting to ban guns
may well spark a second American revolution. Jones himself made similar remarks
in a heated interview this week on CNN as well, saying an assault on
gun rights would lead to another revolution, drawing praise from his
legions of followers but controversy in some conservative and
libertarian circles.

During the interview, Ron Paul pointed out
the hypocrisy of trying to infringe on the rights of Americans due to
the actions of a murderer even as the Obama administration continues killing children all over the world using drones.
"It should go without saying that he's gone way too far. It also should
go without saying that he's acting with the use of illegal violence,
and he becomes the violent person," Rep. Paul explained. "These are
dictatorial moves; they are very, very dangerous.”

Still, he did
not believe Americans were likely to relinquish their firearms anytime
soon. "I don't think the American people will [turn in their
semi-automatic guns],” the doctor-turned lawmaker from Texas continued.
“I've always assumed that the line in the sand may well be drawn if the
federal agent marches in unannounced and they say, 'give me your gun and
give me your gold.' I don't think they'll be able to do that calmly. I
think the American people will highly resent it and resist."

U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Marietta) tackled such sensitive topics as
gun reform, abortion and rape during the Smyrna Area Council of the Cobb
Chamber of Commerce breakfast which took place Thursday at the Smyrna
Community Center.

Gingrey said he was open to considering certain gun control measures in the wake of the Connecticut elementary school massacre.

“There
are some problems, and maybe these huge magazines even for someone who
says, ‘look, I just use an AR-15 for target practice,’ but do you really
need to be standing there shooting at a silhouette a shot a second or
even quicker with that kind of weapon? For what purpose?” Gingrey asked.
“I would be willing to listen to the possibility of the capacity of a
magazine.”

As
a young boy I was shot by a man whose clear intent was to kill me as I
had deliberately, by throwing broken bricks at him, interrupted his
attempt to rape a young teen-aged girl, allowing her to escape. To this
day I can still see the evil in his face and the sun glistening off the
barrel of the pistol he aimed in my direction. As I turned and began to
run away he fired hitting me in back. The bullet entering my chest felt
as if someone had hit me with baseball bat followed immediately by an
excruciating burning sensation as I fell to the ground from the
impact. Perhaps it was the adrenaline, but I was able scramble to my
feet and run as far as I could until finally passing out from the shock
and loss of blood. Fortunately, someone came to my rescue and took me
to a military hospital and the first step on my journey to the United States.

According
to the current incarnation of the American left, who traffic constantly
in victimhood and noble intentions, I should be in the vanguard of the
mandatory gun control and confiscation movement. That somehow it was
the inanimate object this soldier was holding and not him that was
responsible for the attempt on my life or to ignore the fact that his
mindset was such he would have used any weapon at hand to accomplish the
same goal.

On
the contrary, I own a handgun today because of the experience of coming
face to face with the evil that permeates some men's souls. I and the
girl I rescued were defenseless. There were no police or armed citizens
around and the death of another homeless and unknown boy and girl,
buried in an unmarked mass grave, would have been just another easily
ignored casualty of the post-War period. I was determined that I would
never again face a similar circumstance. I have had in my possession
firearms for virtually my entire life, as I have been fortunate to live
in the one nation on earth that has embedded in its founding document
the right to bear arms.

Today,
I am, along with a vast majority of my fellow citizens, being made the
scapegoat for the failed policies of the so-called progressives --
whether it is the inability of society to deal with extreme psychopaths
or the mentally deranged, because the left insists they are entitled to
the same rights as other citizens, or the never-ending attempt to
rehabilitate criminals incapable of rehabilitation. Consistent with
their inability to ever admit a mistake, the left and much of the
Democratic Party instead focuses on symbolism over substance and the
path of least resistance -- going after the law-abiding hard working
people who are the backbone of America.

On his Thursday program, MSNBC’s “The Last Word” host Lawrence
O’Donnell said the Bible shouldn’t have any role in the
upcoming Inauguration Day ceremonies.

The news that Passion City Church of Atlanta Pastor Louie Giglio lost
the honor of giving the benediction at the inaugural ceremonies because
he delivered anti-gay sermons, O’Donnell said, is a reminder of how
much undue influence the Bible has in modern discourse.

“It turns out there is no better way for a pastor to get kicked out
of the inauguration ceremony than quoting the Bible,” O’Donnell said.
“That is what Louie Giglio, of Passion City Church in Atlanta, did to
get knocked out of this year’s inauguration. His participation was
announced at 9 a.m. on Tuesday by the Presidential Inaugural Committee.
It took all of a day for something to surface in his Giglio’s
sermonizing past that made him persona non grata at the swearing-in of a president who is in favor of gay rights, including marriage equality.”

The president of the National Rifle Association on Thursday said there
was no negotiation with the Obama administration on gun rights in an
effort to stem violence in the wake of the shootings at a Connecticut
elementary school last month.

“There isn’t on guns,” NRA President David Keene told CNN. “There is not on guns, not that I can see.”

Keene’s remarks came as Vice President Joseph Biden on Thursday said he
saw a growing consensus for the federal government to seek universal
background checks for gun buyers and a ban on high-capacity ammunition
magazines. But the NRA president told CNN that the association could work
with the White House in trying to get those who have been determined by
law to be mentally ill into a national registry of those who are barred
from purchasing firearms.

“That would make a difference, because the people who have been involved
in these shootings have been people who are severely mentally ill,”
Keene said, referring to the Dec. 14 shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary
School in Newtown, Conn., in which 20 children and six adults died.

“We don’t think you should demonize everybody who’s got a mental
problem, but the fact is that there are people who are not in the gray
area,” Keene told CNN. “They should not be allowed to buy firearms.”

There is an old adage, "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame
on me." This week the media is trying to convince us that support for
Senator Feinstein's anti-gun legislation
is weak, but if we are not PRO-ACTIVE, the legislation will pass as
written. You will wake up just in time for SHOT Show with new laws that
make your AR-15 a Class 3 weapon. This means that if you want to keep
your tactical rifles, you will have to register them, pay a $5-$200 tax,
and notify the government if you intend to take them out of state. You
will also completely waive your 4th Amendment rights to reasonable
search and seizure. ATF will have the right to knock on your door and
inspect the weapons anytime they want. You will also see an end to
standard capacity magazines. This isn't a threat. It isn't political
posturing. Diane Feinstein and the anti-gun machine have already
introduced the legislation, and it will be rammed through Congress and
signed by the President if we do not Stand As One and act today.

Please contact your legislators immediately, and post the links above to
your discussion boards. Also please contact all of the gun companies
you do business with and ask them to take action now and don't sit on
their resources in reaching out to the gunowners of America. All of
them have mailing lists, and all of them are sitting on them pretending
that they don't have any responsibility, while doing record business in
the stuff that is going to be banned or regulated. This 2nd Amendment
crisis is not about KA-CHING. We call out to Midway USA, Gunbroker,
Brownells, Sportsmen's Guide, Cabelas and all the firearms and accessory
manufacturers. If you have a list, use it. We must Stand As One
if we are to defeat this threat to our freedom. Aside from one NRA-ILA
email notifying us about the legislation, even the NRA has been silent.
Facebook isn't enough. Our testing has shown that the effectiveness
of Facebook is very small.

You MUST EMAIL YOUR LISTS THIS WEEK
before the legislation gains public support. We are about to enter a
dark time in 2nd Amendment freedom and political wrangling from the NRA
isn't going to cut it this far out from an election. The legislators
need to hear from us, that we will work to defeat them in their next
election bid.

This is not an alarmist position. The anti-gun machine was prepared for
this opportunity, and they are very well organized. Senator Feinstein
herself admitted that she has been working since last year to
investigate all of the loopholes from the last "Assault Weapons Ban" and
eliminate them. That means that this time there will be no thumbhole
stocks, no sawed off flashhiders, no California "bullet buttons." It is
almost as though the anti-gunners allowed the old ban to end in hopes
of making a better one this time. This legislation is extremely
comprehensive and if it passes, every tactical rifle in America will
instantly become a Class 3 weapon. No new guns will be produced at all,
effectively shuttering every AR-15 manufacturer in the country.

Don't be fooled by the pollsters this time, for or against. They key
point in this legislation is that we are more than a year from the start
of the next campaigns for the mid-term elections. The anti-gun
lobbyists, as you read this, are contacting the House and Senate members
trying to convince them that American voters are not going to punish
them for voting for new and sweeping gun control. Few politicians
actually stand for anything, so how we react is paramount to defeating
this legislation. You must notify your legislators that you are
watching their vote and that you will work to defeat them in their next
election bid if they vote for any new gun legislation that comes out of
the Sandy Hook shootings. Over 500 people have been killed in Chicago
this year, the most gun restrictive city in the USA. We will not
sacrifice our 2nd Amendment rights because the media is up in arms about
the slaughter of 20 white kids by a mentally disturbed individual who
stole his mommy's guns.

Also don't think that the Supreme Court is going to help us on this one.
The legislation clearly identifies the approach to grandfathered
weapons as a tax, and the Supreme Court has recently dealt with this
issue on Obamacare, and refused to strike it down. Our swing vote, the
George W. Bush appointed Justice Stevens, has already demonstrated that
he will not strike down major legislation from the bench if he can find a
way to avoid it, and this tax approach to our guns won't even make the
Supreme Court. You may think that the original 2nd Amendment guaranteed
us the right to the same guns at the government (muskets at the time),
but there is plenty of Federal case law from the 1986 machinegun ban
that has laid the groundwork for this Feinstein bill. It will pass, and
it will stand.
If we Stand As One this week, the legislation will be stopped.
Please contact your reps in the House and your Senators today.
Mobilize your friends and family. Email everyone in your contact list.
And most importantly post the direct links above (not to GunsAmerica)
to every single discussion board, blog or forum to which you frequent.

As we have tried to explain already, GunsAmerica is all alone out here
in this fight. Please encourage the gun websites you do business with
to join our Stand As One campaign and email their mailing lists
to fight this game changing legislation. We are all NRA Life and
Endowment members here at GunsAmerica, yet nothing has come from NRA.
Our competitors Gunbroker have sent nothing, apparently content with the
spike in business. Midway USA has a huge list, yet nothing has come
from them. Brownells is in the news for selling 3 1/2 years of
magazines in one day, yet nothing has come from their email list. And
worst of all, Cheaper Than Dirt actually announced that they would stop
selling guns online, supporting the public opinion against our guns.
Sportsman's Guide even had the nerve to send a happy go lucky "After
Christmas" sale email on AR-15 accessories. Don't boycott these
companies. Contact these companies! We have to stand together or we are
going to lose. Now is not the time to argue and sit on our resources
of huge email lists to America's gun enthusiasts. We Stand As One!

Some of you got upset at us calling Alex Jones a turd in the punchbowl
of 2nd Amendment freedom, but it is the truth. The conspiracy theory
websites do not stand with us on this one, though they claim that they
do. A lot of young people are caught up in a conspiracy theory mindset
that is preventing them from seeing the forest through the trees. 2nd
Amendment rights were never about hunting, and there has always been an
out in the open "conspiracy" against them. if you espouse big
government control and oversight of all Americans, you obviously don't
want free thinkers to be armed. It doesn't take a conspiracy theorist
to figure out that Diane Feinstein wants to watch and control all
Americans, and disarming us is an important step for her and her ilk.
Alex Jones and his gang may seem well intentioned, but what they really
want is internet traffic. They want to sell you the movies and the water
purifiers and the survival food and the male enhancement pills, PERIOD.
Guns are just the latest thing on the conspiracy theory bandwagon
because it "gets the buzz going." They may be gun loving Americans at
heart, but what is driving them today is the almighty but ever weakening
$$$ dollar.

Diane Feinstein doesn't care how much survival food you have in your
bunker . But what she does have is the actual power to halt the
production of an entire class of firearms and magazines, and she plans
to do that, this week. Get out of your armchair and get into action.

Do not be fooled by a belief that progressives, leftists hate guns.
Oh, no, they do not. What they hate is guns in the hands of those who
are not marching in lock step of their ideology. They hate guns in the
hands of those who think for themselves and do not obey without
question. They hate guns in those whom they have slated for a barrel to
the back of the ear.We must Stand As One! GunsAmerica
Where America Buys and Sells Guns

I swapped the original rail for Texas Weapons part and like it much better. It's more solid and less abrasive. Magpul sling attachment on top of that to keep the rifle from rolling when slung across.
Still need to add Krebbs extended selector lever.

Arrogant
Obama-supporters have been emboldened by what they perceive to be a
massive electoral mandate -- despite the fact that Obama would have lost
the election if only 334,000 votes in four critical states had gone
differently.

But to be sure, these gun grabbers have made their objectives pretty clear.

Illegal orders and confiscation

* “The
president is going to act. There are executive orders, executive action
that can be taken [and] we’re compiling it all with the help [of] the
attorney general and all the rest of the cabinet members as well as
legislative action we believe is required.” -- Vice President Joe Biden,
January 9, 2013

* “Confiscation could be an option.” -- New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in a radio interview (December 27, 2012)

* “We cannot
have big guns out here ... semi-automatics and all of them,” said Iowa
Rep. Dan Muhlbauer. “Even if you have them, I think we need to start
taking them.” -- interview with the Iowa Daily Times Herald (December 19, 2012)

Sweeping new guns & ammo bans

* The
proposed Illinois semi-auto ban would “ban more than 50% of the rifles
and more than 80% of handguns” currently owned by Illinoisans. -- Study
by Illinois State Rifle Association

* Biden is
being pushed to accept “universal background checks [and laws to] track
the movement and sale of weapons through a national database.” -- The Washington Post, January 6, 2013, p. A1

* The goal is to “break the back” of the gun lobby. -- Democratic operative Julian Epstein (MSNBC)

Read all of these quotes again. Let them sink in.

This is the goal of the so-called “reasonable, common sense” crowd in Congress. Consider what they want to accomplish:

(1) Immediate bans on most guns currently in circulation.

(2) Accompanied by national registration of guns and ammunition.

(3) Followed by confiscation.

And, under
rules changes being pushed by Senate Democrats, once you allow the least
bit of gun control to go forward, the process will be beyond anyone’s
ability to stop once it turns really nasty and extreme.

The bottom line: ALL gun control should be opposed in its entirety.

We are beyond the point of negotiating our demise with people who have made it clear that their objective is to destroy us.

The only solution is to oppose EVERY SINGLE GUN CONTROL proposal. Every single one.

Gun control
is not the answer. Connecticut had just about the most draconian gun
control laws in the country, and they were absolutely unable to stop
Adam Lanza from using a stolen firearm to shoot up a school.

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Southern Lady

Core Creek Militia

==============================My sixth great grandfather, his wife, and five of his six children were killed in battle with the Tuscarora Indians at Core Creek, NC.

The Seven Blackbirds

==============================My third great grandfather was an Ensign in the Revolutionary War, and saved his unit's flag after being wounded at the Battle of Brandywine. He was also at Kingston (Kinston), Wilmington, Charleston, Two Sisters and Augusta. He was at the defeat at Brier Creek and also Bee Creek.

Requiem Aeternam -
Eternal Rest Grant unto Them
==============================
My second great grandfather was killed in action on May 3, 1863 at the Battle of Chancellorsville.
=============================
My great grandfather and great uncle knew all the men in the "Civil War Requiem" video as they were part of the 53rd NC which was the sole unit defending Fort Mahone. (Fort Mahone was named "Fort Damnation" by the Yankees) *Handpicked men of the 53rd (My great grandfather was one of these) made the final, night assault at Petersburg in an attempt to break Grant's line. This was against Fort Stedman which was a few miles to the slight northeast. They initially succeeded, but reinforcements drove them back. This video is made from photographs which were taken the day after the 53rd evacuated the lines the night before to begin the retreat to Appomattox. I have many more pictures taken by the same photographer, one of these shows a 14 year old boy and the other is the famous picture of the blond, handsome soldier with his musket.
===========================
*General Gordon promised the men a gold medal and 30 days leave if they accomplished their task and many years after the War my great grandfather wrote General Gordon, who was then governor of Georgia about this incident. They exchanged several letters which I have framed. See first link below.
===========================
*The Attack On Fort Stedman
============================
"His Colored Friends"
============================
Lee's Surrender
=============================
My Black NC Kinfolks
============================
Punished For Being Caught!

Great Grandfather Koonce

He was a drummer boy in the WBTS, survived the War only to die a few years later. He was caught in an ice storm on his way home, but instead of seeking shelter, continued on his horse until the end. His clothes had to be cut off and he died a few days later.

Thank you

I would just like you to know how so very glad I am that I found your blog. I have learned more history from you and the many links that you post than I have from reading all my history books. I can never thank you enough for the education you are freely giving me. It is priceless. And eye opening.

Many times I will not comment, but that does not mean I am not reading and learning.

You sir, are an educator. Thank you.

PhyllisWantage, NJ

Good morning Mr. Townsend,

Just to let you know I have finally finished that massive tome on General Lee. I never knew 1/10th of what a great man he was. No wonder the South is so proud of him! So sad that we have few men of his caliber today. We need them desperately. I have learned more history through you and your blog than I thought I could ever learn. I am very grateful to you. Thank you so much for taking time to answer my e-mail. And thank you for your blog and for opening my eyes.

PhyllisWantage, NJ

".......So good to hear from you! And also so pleased you are converting more of us Yankees! You have no idea how many people you have taught. And how many are so grateful to you for showing us the truth."

Your faithful friend,

Phylis

==============================

I have also learned from Brock Townsend and two nurses lately, that appreciation expressed by someone for whom you have great respect overwhelms the lack of appreciation by some from whom you expect it. I believe that we cannot really know which small bit of help makes the life-saving difference. ﻿

I have learned more history from you than all the years I was supposed to be in school (and not out hunting or fishing).

==============================

I really must say, I like thousands of others have said, your blog is the best out there and with all of your history and experience, you should run for *president. I look forward to reading your blog every day and every day I learn from you. Thank you for the time you put into this effort .

Sincerely,

Scott Fitts

*It would have to be an improvement. :) BT

==============================

Hi Brock,

Ever since I picked up on your blog I "Knew" you were a "Gentleman of the South!" You lack the "Crassness" that is so prevalent in today's Sociopolitical arena but speak with the Firmness in Truth and Conviction of Right like the words of our Late Great President Jefferson Davis! That is Honorable.

I have been thinking about this for a while now. At first it was a very subtle notice, then it became larger as I saw more. Then it bloomed to me to be what it is. In your writings, in your Blog, Brock, "You" have written, posted and done more to eradicate the "Revisionist History" forced on us by the "Northern Aggressors,"BAR NONE!!!" The "Stars and Bars" fly High and Proud today even more thanks to your efforts!

Reading your post on 03 JUNE about the birthday of President Jefferson Davis and the "quotes" of his was the galvanizing statement! The first words of "His" you posted say so much, are timeless and can never be "Destroyed!" by any man! .......and those words were........

"Truth crushed to the earth is still truth still and like a seed will rise again."--Jefferson Davis (1808-1889)

In so many ways you and your efforts to keep and carry on the "Truth of the South" are the water and light of the Sun that nourish "That Seed" that Jefferson Davis speaks of! That "Seed" of "Southern Truth!" That cannot be vanquished because of efforts like Men as yourself!

refzip.com

http://refzip.com/

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